


Luck in the Storm

by VivaJayne



Series: Harvest Moon One Shots [4]
Category: Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 11:09:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19440244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VivaJayne/pseuds/VivaJayne
Summary: Rio is injured during a Winter storm. Who should come to her rescue but the grumpy blond she'd come to fall in love with? After becoming trapped in her house while the storm subsides, the two will finally figure out just what their relationship is going to be. One Shot. No lemons but rated M for sexual content.





	Luck in the Storm

The wind whipped Rio’s hair in a wild tangle as she pulled her coat tighter around her neck. She shouldn’t be out in this, but she couldn’t let her animals suffer.  
When she woke that morning, she knew that no farm work could be done that day. Winter was in full swing with snow and ice clinging to the life in Echo Village. Rio had been disappointed, but she knew it was for the best if she lay low until the storm passed and she was perfectly prepared to do so.  
Until she heard the crash and the unmistakeable cry of her horse  
Rio tried to look through the window towards the barn, but the clouds obscured the sun and the snow was too thick to see anything past the glass. Her horse was still crying, and she could hear the faint scuffle of the cows as they began to panic. She couldn’t leave them on their own, so she summoned her courage and stepped into the thick.  
Immediately she had been assaulted with cold and pain. Her skin pinked instantly, and she was almost taken off her feet by the wind, but she pressed towards the barn. It had taken a long time, longer than she had expected, but finally she saw the shadow of the barn loom over her and the shattered wooden shutter buried in the snow.  
The wind must’ve taken it. Rio pulled at the block of icy wood until it wrenched free and dragged it to the barn door. She’d been meaning to replace the window coverings for some time, but the storm had taken her by surprise and she was unprepared. Now she needed to come up with something to keep her animals warm until the weather cleared.  
She peered into the barn where the animals were calming. The window that had broken had a small hill of snow building beneath it, and the barn had chilled considerably, but it was salvageable. Rio shushed the cows as her horse had visibly relaxed, and then moved back outside, locking the door firmly behind her.  
She made her way over to the window in question, observing what was left of the shutters. There seemed to be enough to work with to create a temporary seal, if she could just get the wood to cooperate. Her hands were frozen and numb as she lifted the broken shutter, fitting it to cover the hole.  
Immediately she heard the animals still. Breathing a sigh of relief, Rio set to securing the wood at least until tomorrow morning. She felt she could do it, she need only-  
A large gust of wind knocked her off her feet. Rio yelped, covering her face as her body collided with the icy snow beneath her. The shutter she’d been fixing came loose and left with the wind, crashing to the snow beside her.  
Rio struggled to get up, but the weather was too harsh. She felt the wind pushing her down, felt the snow piling atop her, and felt a throbbing pain on the side of her head.  
It was with a pang of fear that she realised the shutter had hit her on the way down. She began to struggle harder, hoping to at least make it into the barn if not the house. The skies were dark, the wind was wicked, and the cold was fatal. If she was stuck here, she wouldn’t see the next day.  
Rio took a deep breath and attempted one final push off of the ground. The cold had seeped through her clothing and she was chilled, her muscles refusing to move more than an inch either way. Panic tried to worm its way into her heart but she was too cold- she hadn’t realised just how cold until now- to heed it. She needed to get up, or she was going to die here. She needed to get up, or-  
The world around her faded to an icy black.  
.  
It started as a tingling in her fingers and toes. Rio began to feel her limbs again- pained and shaking, but she could feel them. They were there. Her sense of hearing began to return to her as well, followed by an intense pounding against the inside of her skull. She wanted to scream with the pressure, but found her mouth dry and weak.  
Slowly she began to register where she was. She was inside. It was her house; that much she knew from the familiar smell, but she didn’t know how she got here. She couldn’t open her eyes just yet, but she could hear someone moving around her. There was a fire crackling in the wood stove, and what smelled like hot chocolate boiling in the kettle.  
Warmth. The warmth hit her all at once, like it’d been there the whole time but she hadn’t felt it. The fire was warming her wonderfully, so much so that she wanted to get closer to it. Her body was still chilled, and the warmth she was feeling only made her shiver more. She sat upright suddenly, her eyes blinking open with the violent force of her shaking.  
“Rio?”  
She whirled to see Neil standing in her kitchen, two mugs of hot chocolate steaming on the counter beside him.  
Neil?  
She blinked at him for a brief few moments, unsure how to react. What was he doing here? How did she get inside? What about her animals? The questions spun rapidly in her mind, making her dizzy.  
“You’re awake.” He grunted, picking up the two mugs and walking to the couch where she lay. He placed them on the table beside her, sitting awkwardly on the arm of the couch. “Are you alright?”  
Rio blinked again. She was still processing everything, and her brain wasn’t functioning as normal.  
“My animals,” She croaked. “Are they alright? Is the barn fixed?”  
“They’re fine,” He assured her, albeit angrily. “I fixed the window, for now, so they’ll be fine until morning.”  
Rio visibly relaxed, but Neil did not. He remained tensed, seated next to her rigidly on the arm of the couch.  
“What were you thinking?” He muttered eventually, glaring at her. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed out there, Rio! You shouldn’t have been out at all, let alone by yourself!”  
Rio resisted the urge to place her hand against her throbbing head. She was still chilled, and the blanket was only doing so much. “I had to help them!” She defended hotly. “They’d freeze!”  
“So would you!” Neil threw his arms in the air, exasperated. “Do you know what could’ve- no, what would’ve happened if I hadn’t come by? You’d be dead, Rio! And then what?”  
“Why were you here anyway?” She snapped. The tremble in her voice made her sound much less menacing, but she acted like it didn’t. “I didn’t ask you to come by. And I wasn’t about to drag someone else into that to help me with my animals!”  
Neil went a little red. “Dunhill asks me to check up on everyone during storms. I was just about to head home because it was getting too bad out, but yours was the last place I had to check and it was on the way anyway. You’re damn lucky I did, too!”  
Rio sucked in her cheeks. Neil had a way of bringing out the worst in her, no matter how hard she tried. “Well thank you for your help, Neil,” She snapped, glaring at him hatefully. “But you may leave now; I’m perfectly fine here by myself!”  
“I’d love to leave, Rio,” He snapped back. “But guess what? Because I had to sidetrack to save your life, the storm got worse and now we’re stuck here until it dies down. Even I wouldn’t go out in this.”  
Rio glanced at the window where the storm whipped wildly just beyond. It was difficult, but she could tell it was worse than it had been. Neil was right, they were trapped.  
They sat quietly for a moment, each steaming at the other, until Rio’s teeth chattering filled the room. Neil looked over at her pointedly, but she didn’t notice. The cold still had a firm grip on her.  
“Oh for goodness sake,” Neil huffed, rolling his eyes. “Take this if you’re going to keep up with that racket.”  
He stood and shrugged out of his signature red coat, revealing a black long-sleeved cotton shirt beneath. Rio watched in shock as he reached around and placed the coat securely around her shoulders.  
It was warm where he’d been wearing it, and it smelled of fresh hay and the faint scent of his cologne. Rio unconsciously sank into it, tightening the thick fabric around her.  
Neil had been the one person she saw the most when she moved to Echo Village. He was callous most of the time, but she truly felt he could be a good person underneath his angry exterior. She’d tried to get him to open up to her for months, and she felt like it was working, until one day he’d completely alienated her.  
Now, the two sat near each other in Rio’s living room, completely alone and stuck that way until morning.  
“You should probably change,” Neil suggested, retreating to the kitchen. “Your clothes are soaked.”  
Rio realised he was right. She was still in the clothes he’d rescued her in, and they were soaked through with icy water. Rio summoned her strength and stood, keeping Neil’s coat wrapped around her body.  
With her bedroom door shut safely behind her, Rio stripped of her ruined clothing. They fell to a soft pile on the floor, cold liquid pooling around them. She shuddered.  
After digging out a pair of thick, grey flannel lounge pants, Rio paused with her hand on a pullover sweatshirt. Something in her head wanted her to forget the sweater and instead find a thin shirt and continue to wear Neil’s coat.  
Too tired to question her own motives, she pulled a thin, mint green shirt from her drawer. It was long sleeved, but it was light and airy. She could easily wear it and the coat without getting too warm.  
Her skin was still cold to the touch, but she was beginning to feel better with dry clothes. With Neil’s coat secured on her shoulders, she left the bedroom once again to join the blond male in the main part of the house.  
“Do you mind if I still wear this?” She asked, pulling on the coat sleeve. “It’s really warm.”  
Neil regarded her with a quick nod, the tops of his cheeks turning a slight pink. Rio couldn’t stop the smile that graced her lips.  
“I’m glad you’re ok,” Neil admitted after a few moments. Rio had retrieved her hot chocolate from the coffee table and was sipping at it appreciatively. “I didn’t mean to get upset with you, I was just… worried.”  
“Worried?” She repeated back to him. “About me? Call the presses! This is front page worthy!” Rio laughed, earning another blush from Neil. She looked to the ground sheepishly, her hands cupped tightly around her mug.  
“Thank you,” She whispered eventually, glancing up to catch his bewildered expression. “For saving me, I mean. I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been here.”  
Neil shrugged, but Rio could tell he was pleased. Things had been strained between them ever since he’d begun to avoid her, but ghosts of their old friendship lingered. Maybe being snowed in was exactly what they needed.  
“You know, this coat smells wonderful.” She commented, placing her mug on the counter so she could bunch the fabric before her nose. “Is this how you smell? Or is it even possible for you to smell this good?” Rio joked, taking a step towards him with the intention of checking. She froze, suddenly, as the realisation of what she was doing hit her full force with her proximity to Neil.  
She hadn’t intended to, but now she was nearly pressed against Neil’s torso. He had frozen just as she had, watching her with wide eyes as Rio decided what to do. She’d put herself in a strange position; she’d have to either back off or follow through, and she was never one to back off.  
Steeling herself, she leaned into him, placing her face mere inches from the skin of his neck and chest, close enough that he could feel her breathing. She inhaled deeply, savouring the scent of his skin which was as she expected: the same as the red coat she now wore.  
“Mm,” She hummed involuntarily, covering it quickly with a rough cough. “Wow, you really do smell like that.”  
“Thank you,” Neil whispered, never taking his eyes off of her as she leaned away, backing into the cupboard behind her.  
“Sorry,” She blushed, letting her hair fall into her face. “I was curious. I guess that was kinda weird.”  
“It’s fine,” Neil mumbled, eying her with an odd expression. It made her heart thump painfully in her chest. “You- you should probably lie down, you still look pretty cold.”  
“Will you come with me?” Rio asked before she could stop herself. She immediately flushed and amended, “I mean to the couch. I was going to sit on the couch.”  
Neil nodded quickly, following as Rio picked up her mug of hot chocolate and scurried to the couch and the roaring fire.  
What was she doing? All of these unexpected images of Neil were flooding her mind, clouding her judgement, and making her ache for closeness. She wanted to curl into his embrace, feel his arms around her, and many other things that if she acknowledged would make her skin flare crimson.  
Trying not to show the effects of her internal struggle, Rio sank into one end of the couch with her head resting on the arm. She curled her legs so that Neil had enough room to sit beside her, which he promptly did.  
The weather would be too wild for any decent television reception, so Rio reached for the DVD player’s remote. She had fallen asleep watching a movie the night before, and with nothing else for the two of them to do she quickly restarted it.  
“Do you mind?” She asked Neil quietly, nodding towards the opening credits. “It’s animated.”  
Neil shook his head, eyes glued forward. He wasn’t relaxed, that much Rio could tell, with his arms folded pointedly across his chest and his legs stretched out carefully before him. She couldn’t blame him. With the tension between them, she was surprised he wasn’t feigning sleep already.  
Rio had always been attracted to Neil. Who wouldn’t be? He was undeniably sexy with his ruffled hair and hard torso. She tried not to think too much about it as the movie continued to play, her body feeling more at ease as time went on.  
After a while Rio began to relax mentally as well. She stretched her legs and shifted on the couch, attempting to make herself comfortable.  
“Are you still cold?”  
She glanced over at Neil. He’d relaxed a little as well, his arms no longer folded but with one hooked over the back of the couch and the other leaning on the armrest. He appraised her quickly, a slight worry forming in the crease of his brow. Rio almost didn’t want to answer honestly.  
“I’m al-”  
“You can come over here, if you want to,” Rio blinked in surprise. Neil’s cheeks were flushed a dark red, but he made no move to retract his offer. Rio hid her grin, accepting the invitation with a gentle nod.  
The wind was still howling outside, but Rio paid no attention to it. Her and Neil were trapped in their own little world whether they wanted to be or not, and as she settled snugly into his side she couldn’t help but notice how right it felt. Her body curved comfortably into his, drawing a contented sigh from her chest.  
“Is that better?” Neil’s voice, while soft, rumbled beneath her ear. She nodded against him, pressing closer as if to prove her point. He grunted in response, sinking back into the couch.  
Connected in this way, Rio and Neil slowly forgot any animosity between them and soon were laughing together at the movie, chatting about nothing, and generally enjoying each other’s company. It was rare for Rio, or anyone for that matter, to see Neil in this way, and it almost made his sudden previous abandonment harder for Rio to accept.  
Neil’s body really was warm. If Rio hadn’t been enjoying herself, she’d be almost entirely focused on the way he felt next to her. As it was, it only crossed her mind when he laughed or shifted and she was reminded of his proximity.  
“You know that was one of my favorite movies?” Rio asked, stretching as she got up from the couch. Neil shook his head at her, reaching his own arms high above his head.  
“I don’t know why. It was ridiculous.” He chuckled, grinning at her indignant glare.  
“You were laughing the whole time!” She accused, moving to the kitchen with their empty mugs. Neil stood to follow her, leaning against the counter opposite the sink.  
“Yeah, at how silly everything was.” He corrected. “If this was the movie you wanted me to go see with you last month then I’m glad I declined.”  
He had meant it as a joke, but at the sudden reminder of how he’d alienated her Rio suddenly froze. It was easy to forget certain things when she was with Neil, particularly things that made her angry at him. She didn’t want to be angry, truth be told, she really cared about him. Loved him, even, although she’d never admitted that to anyone but herself.  
Neil realised his mistake a moment too late, a pink blush colouring his cheeks. He mumbled “sorry”, and shifted his gaze to the floor.  
Ignoring his apology, Rio smiled sadly to herself. “Hey, at least it was a new experience for me. I don’t usually get turned down when I ask guys on dates.” She attempted a laugh, but it died in her throat. What she said was true; Rio had asked out a few of the available bachelors in town and they’d all agreed happily, but her heart kept bringing her back to the stubborn blond who’d said no.  
“Date?” Neil repeated dubiously, his gaze suddenly fixated on Rio. Her face and chest pinked under his scrutiny, a wave of embarrassment suddenly rushing through her.  
“Well… yeah,” Her voice was low and uncertain, and it wavered a little on the second word. She hoped he didn’t notice. “It’s ok, I guess maybe I wasn’t very clear about it.”  
The atmosphere in the room had shifted again. Neil’s expression had transitioned through irritation, embarrassment, shyness, confusion, and finally settled on shock. He truly had no idea how Rio felt about him, as evident by this exchange. She resisted the urge to laugh.  
“Rio…” He began, his voice shaking. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Rio do you… do you like me?”  
Rio raised her head to look him in the eye. They were on opposite sides of her small kitchen; she was resting in the corner of the cupboards, he was leaning near her fridge. Although she looked relaxed, she felt anything but. Her body was tense, the uncomfortable situation suddenly making her long for the end of this storm.  
“Of course I do, you idiot.” She whispered, her blush deepening in colour.  
Neil blinked at her. It was impossible to read his expression, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to anyway. Being intimate with Neil like they’d been only moments before reminded her of how attracted to him she was; his warm, muscled body, his rare, relaxed smile, his soft, straw coloured hair… everything about him was comforting to her.  
Almost without her notice, Neil had pushed away from the counter and approached her, his breathing suddenly heavier than before. She watched with hopeful eyes as he stopped in front of her, his mind searching for something to say.  
“You can stop me,” He whispered, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her body. “If you want to,” it was added as an afterthought, almost like he was praying she wouldn’t want to, but felt the need to say it anyway.  
Rio looked up at him through her lashes, absorbing the desire etched into his bright eyes. She was starting to understand why he’d been so awkward with her before.  
His body pinned her in the corner, his heaving chest pressing into hers with every staggered breath. Rio leaned into him, tilting her chin so that their mouths hovered a mere inch from each other. Their eyes had drifted closed, but she could feel his arms on either side of her, entrapping her.  
Neil brushed his lips against hers- not a full kiss as she pulled away, her small, trembling hands pressed firmly against his hard chest.  
“Why did you ignore me?” Rio whispered, her breath washing over him tantalizingly. She needed to know before she let anything happen. If he abandoned her again after this, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. Neil hesitated, her proximity driving him mad. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her, to make her his, and she knew it. She was testing him, making him earn what he wanted.  
“I was scared,” Neil answered honestly, his voice low and broken as he moved to Rio’s neck, gently trailing the tip of his nose against her skin until he reached the area just below her ear. He parted his lips and pressed them against her, leaving a slow, lingering kiss.  
Rio’s heart began to beat faster, her head tilting towards his touch. “O-of what?” She breathed, resisting the quiet moan building in her throat.  
Neil paused his kiss, guiding his lips up her neck, along her jaw, and away from her skin. Rio’s eyelids fluttered open, staring lustfully at the man teasing her senses in every way she could imagine. He was regarding her with desire deeper than her own, his face so close she could flinch and they would touch.  
“Of how much I love you,” Neil admitted in the same low, lustful voice. Rio blinked rapidly, her breath caught in her throat, as Neil closed the gap between them with a deep, forceful kiss.  
Stunned, Rio melted against him, her hands reaching into his messy hair and knotting her fingers in the soft locks. She could feel Neil’s hands travel down her body, resting firmly on the swell of her hips and pulling her forward, crushing her to him.  
She moaned around his tongue as it entered her mouth, teasing her with practised precision. The wind howled outside, but Rio barely noticed, lost in the passion that had been building for the past hour.  
Neil broke the kiss to pull her free of his coat. She was sad to let it go, but more than that she wanted to feel him against her again. She shimmied out of the sleeves, pausing only to pull at Neil’s shirt before reaching up to kiss him again. He let her undress his torso, too frantic to care where his clothing ended up, and then lifted her into his arms.  
He carried her to the bedroom, colliding with a few pieces of furniture in the process, but successfully managed to close the door behind them. Rio felt her back hit the mattress as he pinned her there, his mouth leaving hers to trail open-mouthed kisses down her torso.  
She tried to whisper his name, but it was mangled by a horrible cough that tore through her body.  
Neil pulled away from her immediately, watching her as she rode out the coughing fit. Rio felt a wave of embarrassment, but Neil’s expression had darkened to one of intense anger.  
“Rio,” He growled, standing up from their compromising position. “You’re still not well, why didn’t you tell me?”  
In all honesty she hadn’t realised there was anything wrong. She’d been feeling better under Neil’s care, but the sudden tremors wracking her body were indicating otherwise. Neil rolled his eyes and grumbled as he moved around her room, adjusting the temperature and making sure the windows were locked.  
“Here,” He huffed, pulling back the blankets and helping her into bed. He offered Rio his shirt that he’d retrieved from the kitchen floor, which she put on hesitantly. “Get some rest before you kill yourself.”  
Rio watched him as she obeyed, placing her head softly against the pillow. Neil’s expression still contained some desire, and her own heartbeat raced accordingly, but she could tell that they would be going nowhere further tonight.  
“You don’t have to leave,” Rio insisted, shifting in the bed to make room for Neil. He eyed her suspiciously, but at an exasperated groan he obliged, slipping into bed next to her.  
“You’d better not try anything,” He warned, wrapping his arms tightly around her although it seemed to embarrass him slightly. “You’re sick and you need your rest.”  
Rio rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t try to take advantage of you.” Neil grumbled, but seemed satisfied with the implications of the answer.  
“Goodnight Rio,” He mumbled, pulling her into him. She smiled in response, nuzzling his chest. He was as comfortable as he’d been on the couch, his body forming to hers with a familiarity that had no business being there, but one that she welcomed none the less. Although she was disappointed at the interruption of their kiss, she quickly began to feel fatigue overwhelm her.  
“Goodnight Neil,” Rio whispered, letting her eyes drift close.


End file.
